In the 1957 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
”
Cinderella,
”
Julie Andrews plays the young woman stuck taking care of her
ill-tempered stepmother and stepsisters after her beloved father
has died.
In the 1957 TV version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” Julie Andrews plays the young woman stuck taking care of her ill-tempered stepmother and stepsisters after her beloved father has died.
In one poignant scene, she sits in her corner near the fire, where she dreams of living an exotic life as a princess or anything other than a servant. Those around her just laugh at her dreams.
But no one is laughing at the dreams of Gilroy’s current Cinderella, Rachel Smith.
Not only has Smith won the lead role in the spring Gilroy High School musical “Cinderella,” she also won the first leg of the California State Lions Club’s 74th Annual Student Speaker Contest on Tuesday.
Smith gave a speech on “Enforcing Our Borders: State Versus Federal Rights.”
She now qualifies to move on to the next level of competition, known as the zone level which includes students from Hollister, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin.
The contest provides $103,500 in scholarships to high school students for higher education.
While I can’t reveal too much about Smith’s speech, since contest rules don’t allow for any publication from the speech until after the final, I can say she surprised me with how she handled the topic. One of the best things about it was the way she portrayed more than one side to the issue and concluded with a compassionate approach of putting herself in an immigrant’s shoes and attempting to go through the process for becoming a citizen.
She wrote from the point of view of what she had experienced herself, rather than just repeating what someone else had said on the subject.
She revealed information that I have never heard before from any politician or so-called “expert” on the issue.
The Gilroy Lions Club is part of an international service organization of more than 1.3 million members in more than 200 countries and geographic areas. Lillian St. John, a Lion for 28 years, revealed the reason she joined was because of the student speech contest.
“It is so important for young people to have this opportunity. We believe so much in it,” she said with great enthusiasm.
Many of the participating students in the contest have gone on to distinguished careers in public service and the private sector. It is easy to see how Smith will be no exception.
Home schooled for much of her life, she now maintains about a 4.0 grade-point average, taking many GHS advanced placement classes.
In addition to the monetary rewards, the contest is intended to help build confidence, self-esteem and pride in the participants.
Yuja Pan, one of the area contest winners last year, had this to say about the experience: “Although the contest is over, the courage I have gained is still with me. The spirit of the Lions has inspired me to be courageous, not only before an audience, but in life.”
Smith serves as GHS student representative at Gilroy Unified School District board meetings.
She also sings in the Gilroy High School Chamber Choir under the tutelage of Phil Robb.
The senior is now anxiously waiting to hear whether she has been accepted to one of her dream colleges of Vassar, Brown, Eugene Lang or Columbia University. She is rehearsing to begin performances as Cinderella in March.
“The experience of public speaking is helping me in many aspects of my life,” Smith said.
Here’s to betting that more of her dreams are going to come true.
Rachel Smith is someone to keep an eye on. I predict she will go far.
